The Value of Luck

Go to any business conference or read any business book, and you’ll hear about hard work, dedication, the ability to pivot, and the need to hold true to your vision as key indicators of business success. Never mind that the last two are somewhat contradictory, but those are generally among the Top 10. What a

Weaving the Strands of the App Development Business

I’m a bit of a sci-fi fan, and am quite intrigued in stories involving parallel timelines. In one timeline, I could be a completely different person. Perhaps the exact opposite of who I am in this timeline. Or perhaps some of my decisions in this timeline affect my other counterparts, possibly very directly or somewhat

Stress or Pressure?

I read a great post by Steven Sinofsky yesterday, titled “Stress or Pressure?” It’s a repost from a while back, but is timeless wisdom from a very smart man. For those who don’t know him, Steven Sinofsky worked at Microsoft for over 20 years, his last stint was as the President of the Windows division.

Google I/O 2015: Contextual Computing in the Age of Smartphones

Google kicked off their 2015 I/O Event with a keynote that was inspiring both as an Android user and as a computer scientist. It didn’t have the pomp and circumstance of past events but it got right to the heart of what Google’s biggest push is – contextual computing. For years Google has been amassing data

The Hidden Complexity of Simple Apps

Hiding Simplicity, Enabling Complexity Developing apps for smartphones requires careful consideration of many factors. We are constrained by issues such as limited memory, slow processors, and small screens on some devices. We also have to account for the expectations of users, which generally amount to “it needs to be fast” and “it needs to be

Meet Our Team – Shane

How long have you worked at Push? About 3 years Why did you become a developer? I don’t have a fun story about a light bulb moment that led me to software development. Since I was about 12 years old, it was just what I did. I always connected well with computers. I understood them

Our Favourite Apps – An App Review – Comics by comiXology

Shane Giroux is the Chief Operating Officer at Push. Here is his review on his favourite app: Favourite Mobile App Comics by ComiXology Platforms available Android, iOS. What type of user do you think would enjoy this app? People who love comics. People who want to love comics. People who love Batman. Or Superman. Or want

“I read it in a book”

I have started reading a book titled Management 3.0: Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders. I’ve been enjoying it immensely, but found myself falling for two “book learning” traps. 1) Getting excited for a book because it agrees with your worldview When I read the preface – which was by an author and leader whom

Working in an open office

An open office set up is quite popular, especially in the software development world. I believe a large reason is because it’s very economical from an office space perspective. In the same way you can gain more space in a house with an open floor plan, you gain more usable space in an office if

Redesigning Carleton Mobile

Carleton University has had a mobile presence for many years. In fact, they were at the forefront of providing students with a solid, simple app to improve their university experience. In keeping with that spirit, Carleton decided it was time to refresh their app for a new school season. Redesign with new features They decided

Always Add Analytics

So you’ve started to release early and often, adjusting to what your customers need? Great! Now how do you gather information on what to release next? If customer feedback is key, how do you know what your customers are doing? One of the quickest ways to get an idea of how people are using your

Find Your MVP – Minimum Viable Product

“If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, you spent too long on it” This mantra, popularized by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, is meant as a call to action for startups. It’s also been known as “Release early, release often” and even more succinctly as “Fail fast.” Regardless of the exact words used, these phrases

Developing an App for Multiple Platforms

Software development is a creative endeavor, which makes it risky. It’s rare to know exactly what needs to be developed when the project begins. So decisions are made on the fly or modified when necessary, users give feedback that changes how a feature works, and new features come to mind midway through development. This is